Conventional technologies for capturing nanostructures on a surface focus on the alignment and capture/deposition of nanostructures with a low length/diameter ratio (e.g.: nanorods, nanoparticles). However, capture and alignment of nanostructures with appreciable length/diameter ratio (e.g. nanowires) is more difficult. It is also difficult to align nanowires with a preferential direction. Conventional technologies use external controls (e.g., applied electric fields, slow solvent evaporation or thermal annealing) which may require the use of external equipment or high voltages to obtain the alignment and capture/deposition of nanostructures. These external controls increase the production cost and decrease the scalability of nanowire device production.